President Barack Obama's plan to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border may have minimal impact on border security. The guardsmen are part of Obama's $500-million proposal to make the border safer.

Art Linkletter, whose "People Are Funny" and "House Party" shows entertained millions of TV viewers in the 1950s and '60s with the funny side of ordinary folks and who remained active as a writer and speaker through his ninth decade, died Wednesday. He was 97.

"The Civilian Conservation Corps" interweaves rich archival imagery with the personal accounts of CCC veterans to tell the story of one of the boldest and most popular New Deal experiments, positioning it as a pivotal moment in the emergence of modern environmentalism and federal unemployment relief.

At the Orange County Convention Center, "Roadshow" experts uncover a new cache of treasures, including a rare photo signed by the entire cast of the hit TV series "Bonanza"; a beautiful sterling silver Tiffany vase; and a stunning collection of scarce and delicate etchings and dry points by James McNeill Whistler, with a combined value of $130,000 to $190,000.

Versailles, a tight-knit neighborhood on the edge of New Orleans, is home to the densest ethnic Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, residents rebuild their homes — only to have them threatened by a toxic landfill planned in their neighborhood. As the community fights back, it turns a devastating disaster into a catalyst for change.

An environmental group released its grades for the quality of water at beaches in California. San Diego County beaches scored top marks during dry weather, but during wet weather the levels of harmful bacteria increased at county beaches.

Broadcast networks have just concluded the "Upfronts," the spring presentation of fall TV schedules designed to convince agencies to book advertising at early rates and to give viewers a first look at what's new (or not). We examine the probabilities of success for the new shows and the problems of scheduling.

This is not opera as we know it. French composer Pascal Dusapin's chamber opera "To Be Sung" combines new music with a Gertrude Stein text. The graduate students at UCSD's Department of Music perform an ambitious production of "To Be Sung" in the Conrad Prebys Concert Hall this week. We'll talk with the director, soprano Susan Narucki and members of the creative team.

Last year, the State of California began requiring police to take DNA samples from anyone arrested for a felony. The practice was the result of voters passing Proposition 69 and is included in the Katie's Laws, but Katie's Law faces a court challenge in California.

Five years ago, San Diego voters decided to embark on an experiment. The public supported a switch from a city-manager form of government to a strong mayor system. Now the time has come for voters to decide on Proposition D. The initiative aims to make the strong mayor system permanent.